procedures manual for submission of archaeological artifact and records collections

55 Pages·2004·0.27 MB·English

by  Julia Clifton

PROCEDURES MANUAL
FOR SUBMISSION OF
ARCHAEOLOGICAL ARTIFACT
AND RECORDS COLLECTIONS

ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH COLLECTIONS

MUSEUM OF INDIAN ARTS & CULTURE
LABORATORY OF ANTHROPOLOGY

MUSEUM OF NEW MEXICO

October 2002

MUSEUM OF INDIAN ARTS & CULTURE/LABORATORY OF ANTHROPOLOGY
MUSEUM OF NEW MEXICO
P.O. BOX 2087
SANTA FE, NM 87504-2087
PHONE: [phone] FAX: [phone]
www.miaclab.org
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. POLICIES 4
A. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE 4

B. OWNERSHIP 4
1. State of New Mexico 4
2. Private 5
3. Federal or Tribal 5
4. Divided 5

C. PRIORITY OF ACCEPTANCE INTO THE MUSEUM OF NEW MEXICO 5
1. First Priority 5
2. Second Priority 6
3. Third Priority 6
4. Fourth Priority 6
5. Fifth Priority 6

D. DEFINITIONS 6

E. CONSULTATION REQUIREMENTS 7

F. CURATION AGREEMENTS 7

G. ANNUAL NOTIFICATION OF COLLECTIONS TO BE SUBMITTED TO ARC 7

H. ASSESSMENT OF CURATION FEES 8

II. STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES FOR SUBMITTING ARTIFACT COLLECTIONS 9
A. INTRODUCTION 9
1. Adherence to Standards 9
2. Submission of Complete Collections 9
3. Receipt for Collections Submitted to the Museum 10

B. CURATION PROGRAMS AND CATALOGING PROCEDURES 10
1. Archaeological Research Collections 10
2. Individually Cataloged Collections 11
3. Archaeological Records Management Section 11

C. REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBMISSION OF ARTIFACT COLLECTIONS 11
1. Forms 12
2. Secondary Containers for Individual Artifacts or Groups of Artifacts 12
a. Types of Secondary Containers 12
b. Packing Secondary Containers 13
c. Labeling Secondary Containers 13
3. Organization of the Collection 15
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a. By Site, Artifact Type, and In-Site Provenience 15
b. NAGPRA Sensitive Materials 16
4. Boxing for Submission 16
a. Transport Boxes 16
b. Large Unboxed Objects 17
c. Reconstruction of Broken or Fragmentary Artifacts 17
d. Transport and Delivery 18
5. Inventories Required 18
a. Project Summary Inventory 18
b. Box Inventories 19
c. Unboxed Objects Inventory 19
d. Sensitive Materials Inventory 20
e. Items Not Submitted Inventory 21
f. Ownership Inventory 21

III. STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES FOR SUBMITTING RECORD
COLLECTIONS 23
A. PAPER RECORDS 23
1. Organization 23
2. Labeling 24
3. Size and Quality 24
4. Manuscripts 25

B. PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS 25
1. Organization 25
2. Photo Logs (Photo Data Records) 25
3. Sleeving 25
4. Labeling 26
a. Individual prints and slides 26
b. Photographic sleeves 27

C. DIGITAL INFORMATION 27
1. Text Files 27
a. Media and File Format 27
b. Record Format 28
c. Dataset Structure and Documentation 28
2. Digital Photographic Files 29
a. Media and File Format 29
b. Mandatory Hard Copy of Digital Images 29
c. Documentation 30

IV. APPENDICES 31
APPENDIX A 31
Donation Forms for Materials From Private Land 31

APPENDIX B 32
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REVISED Curation Fee Schedule, with Effective Dates Error! Bookmark not defined.
PREVIOUS Schedule of Curation Fees 32

APPENDIX C 34
Project Form 34

APPENDIX D 37
Site/Isolated Occurrence Information Form 37

APPENDIX E 41
Guidelines for Artifact Labeling and Reconstruction 41
1. Labeling Procedures and Approved Products 41
2. Artifact Refits and Reconstructions 42

APPENDIX F 43
Documents Check List 43

APPENDIX G 45
Addresses 45

APPENDIX H 47
Chart of Steps in Submitting Collections 47

APPENDIX I 49
Supply Sources 49

APPENDIX J 51
Sources of Information on Cultural Resources Legislation 51

INDEX 52

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I. POLICIES

A. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The Archaeological Research Collections (ARC) is the program of the Museum of Indian Arts and
Culture/Laboratory of Anthropology (MIAC/LOA) that fulfills the Museum of New Mexico's
responsibilities for curation of archaeological artifact collections and archaeological site and project
records.

These collections generally are derived from permitted archaeological excavations and surveys on
State, Federal, or Tribal lands in New Mexico or from public projects on private lands. For State
lands, these curatorial responsibilities are defined in 18-6-6(B) NMSA 1978 and CPRC Rule 87.8.
For Federal lands and Federal projects on all types of land, the responsibilities are defined in 36
CFR 79 and related Federal laws (see Appendix J).

All sites from which collections are submitted to ARC must have an LA (Laboratory of
Anthropology) number assigned to them by the Archaeological Records Management Section (see
Appendix G for contact information).

The Curator of the Archaeological Research Collections oversees the operations of the ARC
program and is in charge of these collections (sometimes referred to as the "bulk" archaeological
collections).

Collections received into the Museum of New Mexico (MNM) through ARC must conform with the
procedures set forth in this Procedures Manual and current MNM policies.

Collections in the Museum of New Mexico are available for study by qualified researchers, for loan
to institutions, for museum exhibit, and for related museum public programs (18-6-5[O] and 18-6-
6[B] NMSA 1978). Collection use is a high priority, as emphasized in 36 CFR 79.

B. OWNERSHIP

Collection ownership is determined by the land ownership at the time of removal and usually does
not change. Permits usually define who gives permission for removal and in most cases who owns
the collection.

1. State of New Mexico
All archaeological collections recovered from State-Owned or Controlled Lands shall be the
property of the State of New Mexico (18-6-5[O] NMSA 1978). Collections recovered from State
lands must be placed with the Museum of New Mexico for curation. An exception to this
policy may be approved by the Cultural Properties Review Committee, in consultation with
the Museum, when the requested State permit is reviewed and the alternative curatorial location
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is noted in the State permit issued (18-6-6[B] NMSA 1978). There will be no exceptions with
regard to State Trust Lands (CPRC Rule 87-8, Sec. 5.E).

Contractors desiring a curatorial facility other than the Museum of New Mexico must request the
alternative facility in their initial permit application to the Cultural Properties Review Committee.
Contact the Cultural Properties Review Committee for further information regarding State permits
(see Appendix G for contact information).

2. Private
Archaeological materials excavated or collected from Private Land and submitted to MNM for
curation must be donated to the Museum of New Mexico by the private landowner or trustee of a
private corporation using a Deferred Donation or Deed of Gift form (Appendix A). All donations
from private land must be approved in advance of submission by the MIAC/LOA Collections
Committee and are subject to assessment of the current curation fees. Contact the Curator, ARC,
concerning potential donations from private land prior to submission of the materials.

Exceptions to this policy are allowed when a Federal agency assumes responsibility for a private
collection under 36 CFR 79. The Federal agency involved must discuss such exceptions with the
Curator, ARC, before collections are sent for curation and must submit written documentation of its
assumption of responsibility to ARC at the time the collections are received.

3. Federal or Tribal
Archaeological materials recovered from Federal Lands and Tribal Lands are the property of the
Federal government or Tribal government but will be maintained by MNM for public benefit as
long-term loans from each Federal agency (36 CFR 79) or Tribe.

4. Divided
If a site covers an area where Ownership is divided among multiple entities, the ownership of the
collection is divided. For instance, collections from within a New Mexico State Highway and
Transportation Department right-of-way are owned by the State, while collections from adjacent
portions of the site on Federal land are owned by the appropriate Federal agency. It is the
responsibility of the collecting agency to separate collection materials by owner, prior to submission
of collections for curation.

C. PRIORITY OF ACCEPTANCE INTO THE MUSEUM OF NEW MEXICO
1. First Priority
Archaeological collections recovered from State-owned or controlled lands (18-6-9[A] NMSA
1978) which remain property of the State (18-6-5[O] NMSA 1978). These collections are normally
excavated or collected in the context of State-permitted research (18-6-5[O] NMSA 1978).

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Within six months of the completion of a State-permitted survey or excavation, the permittee shall
submit to the State Archaeologist a list of the items removed from the State lands investigated
(CPRC Rule 87-8[D]). These collections must be accessioned into MNM within six months of
completion of the final report.

The Museum of New Mexico also serves as the official repository for material from State lands
collected or excavated without permit.

2. Second Priority
Archaeological materials recovered by MNM staff during excavation, survey, or related projects,
regardless of land ownership.

3. Third Priority
Archaeological materials recovered from Federal lands and Indian Tribal lands. Current Federal
policy states that collections from Federal lands should reside, if possible, in a repository in the state
of origin (36 CFR 79). Collections from Federal lands will be considered long-term loans to the
Museum of New Mexico from the Federal government (36 CFR 79, etc.).

Detailed provisions in regard to loans, scientific/destructive analysis, research use, exhibition, etc.,
of Federal and Tribal collections may be defined in specific agreements with Federal agencies and
Tribes. But, in general, these collections will be treated as part of the Museum of New Mexico
collections and will be subject to MNM policies and standards regarding research use, loan, and
curation.

4. Fourth Priority
Archaeological materials from private land anywhere in the state regardless of project type. This
material will be accepted by ARC if prior approval is given by the MIAC/LOA Collections
Committee, if curation fees can be paid, and if ARC has adequate room for curation. Contact the
Curator, ARC, prior to any such submissions.

5. Fifth Priority
Archaeological materials from outside of New Mexico which have some inherent connection to
New Mexico archaeology. In general, however, such materials should be curated in the state of
their origin. The acceptance of such materials must be approved by the MIAC/LOA Collections
Committee prior to submission. Such material will be accepted only if ARC has adequate room for
curation and storage in the state of origin is impossible. Contact the Curator, ARC, before
submitting materials from outside New Mexico.

D. DEFINITIONS
In regard to Federal collections, the definitions followed in these Procedures will be the same as
those appearing in 36 CFR 79. In general, the 36 CFR 79 definitions will apply to all collections
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discussed by these Procedures. Additional definitions are found in the State regulations, the New
Mexico Cultural Properties Act (18-6 NMSA 1978). The definitions of sensitive materials (human
remains, associated funerary objects, unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of
cultural patrimony) are those set forth in the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation
Act Regulations (43 CFR 10). Please refer to Appendix J for suggestions on obtaining the text of
these regulations.

E. CONSULTATION REQUIREMENTS

It is essential that any necessary consultations about sensitive materials (human remains, associated
funerary objects, unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony)
have been conducted before submission of collections to ARC. Written evidence of this
consultation, including copies of all correspondence, along with the names of the cultural
consultants, tribal leaders, and observers involved, must be submitted with the collection.

F. CURATION AGREEMENTS

The willingness of the Museum of New Mexico, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture/Laboratory of
Anthropology, to curate archaeological collections and records is certified by annual curation
agreements issued by the Curator, ARC, to archaeologists and archaeological contract firms. These
agreements are contingent upon the archaeologist or firm qualifying for the necessary Federal,
Tribal, and/or State archaeological permits. There is no charge for a curation agreement with the
Museum. Archaeologists submitting collections to ARC must possess a current curation agreement.

Curation agreements for archaeologists/firms regularly submitting collections to ARC are
automatically issued each year approximately 1 month to 6 weeks before the CPRC meets to review
requests for annual permits, usually in October, and are valid for the following calendar year. "Off-
cycle" curation agreements requested at other times in the calendar year are valid for the remainder
of the calendar year of their issuance. New archaeologists/firms requesting curation agreements
"off-cycle" will be added to ARC's list of submitters and will automatically receive a curation
agreement for the next calendar year in the following October.

To request a curation agreement, contact the Curator, ARC (see Appendix G for address).

G. ANNUAL NOTIFICATION OF COLLECTIONS TO BE SUBMITTED TO ARC

By February 1 of each year, archaeologists/firms receiving annual October curation agreements
must provide ARC with a list of those collections which they expect to submit to ARC during that
year. This notification must be in writing and should list the projects involved, an estimate of the
cubic footage of artifact and record collections from each project, and the projected date of each
collection's submission to ARC. Archaeologists/firms receiving "off-cycle" curation agreements
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must notify ARC in writing of any collections they expect to submit within the calendar year of the
"off-cycle" curation agreement as soon as possible.

H. ASSESSMENT OF CURATION FEES

A curation fee will be assessed to the institution/agency/municipality/contract firm/individual, etc.,
submitting archaeological collections to MNM through ARC. This fee will be assessed on all
materials (both archaeological artifacts and site and project records) received by ARC, regardless of
their origin (State, Federal, or private lands). This charge represents the cost of personnel,
cataloging, boxing, computer data entry, storage equipment such as shelving, expendable supplies,
processing of the collection, and making the collection available to researchers in perpetuity.

The curation charge assumes that the basic processing standards set forth in this Procedures Manual
are fulfilled before collections are turned in to ARC staff. Any additional work performed by ARC
staff to fulfill these basic standards will incur extra charges. Agreements for ARC to perform
additional processing and the fees involved must be worked out in advance of submitting the
collection by contacting the Curator, ARC. However, the Curator strongly urges that the processing
standards be fulfilled prior to the submission of a collection.

Curation fees are based on the number of cubic feet of storage space the artifacts occupy after they
are reboxed by ARC staff in ARC's standard boxes, the linear footage occupied by site and project
records, the number of large unboxed objects (such as metates), and the number of items transferred
to Individually Cataloged Collections (see section II. B. 1, below).

ARC's standard curation unit is a "whole" cardboard box containing approximately 1 cubic foot.
Other standard containers used by ARC are a half box (1/2 cu. ft.), quarter box (1/4 cu. ft.), and
eighth box (1/8 cu. ft.). Artifact collections too small to be reasonably stored in an eighth box will
be curated in lockers and are termed "locker items."

The current schedule of curation fees is attached (Appendix B).

Fees are payable upon receipt of an invoice from ARC. To assure prompt crediting of your account,
checks must be made payable to the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture/Laboratory of
Anthropology and sent to the Financial Specialist, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture/Laboratory
of Anthropology, P.O. Box 2087, Santa Fe, NM 87504-2087.

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